It is strongly recommended that you fully valet the car, so it is clean inside and out. Consider giving a steam clean to the engine, however, if it is a petrol engine then we wouldnʼt recommend to steam clean it as engine components could get damaged.
Make sure the
Do make sure the car is mechanically fit, if the car does have a fault do repair this or make the buyer aware of this and negotiate the price.
Also check:
Have all paperwork in good order in a folder or with car manuals, this allows the buyer to browse through the documents with confidence and shows that the car documents have been well looked after.
Before you advertise on our website, we strongly advise you set the price for your car. We strongly recommend, you firstly find out how much similar cars have been put up for sale through trader adverts and private adverts, as they do vary. We suggest you should set a price for what you want from the car. Add an extra £150.00 to the price because, the buyer will look for a bargain, this is essential unless you are not open to offers.
Firstly, gather all the information about the car, such as:
We strongly recommend that you include as much information as you can from gathering the above information.
Include as many pictures as you can and also a Video, Adding a Car History Report of the car to the advert will maximise your chance of selling the car, as this will provide essential information to the buyer, increasing the buyers confidence to buy your car. This will create maximum interest in your advert and car.
Try not to use the following in the advert:
Selling a car could be a funny experience if you are new to it, experienced sellers would know how difficult it could get in selling the car to a potential buyer. The haggling is the key part in the whole of this process. We will explain how you could prevent yourself from fraud or a deal that you lose money on.
If the buyer asked for the car to be inspected by a mechanic or a companies such as the RAC, do not oblige to that as this will potentially put the buyer off thinking that there is something wrong with the car.
The buyer will always test the car before they even haggle with the price. But you have to be careful from criminals, thieves and canvassers.
Always sit in the car with the buyer while going for the test drive, as you could end up never having your car back if the buyer goes alone. Always check that the driver has insurance to drive the car.
You may want to dictate the driver the road directions, as the driver may be out of town and will not know the way around your town. Take them on dual carriage ways or small motorways close by as the driver could then fully experience the drive of the car.
While the test drive is under way, explain any extra features the car has, show them off. Any faults with the car should also be explained to the buyer to prevent future problems; the buyer may come back with the car.
Also do make them aware of any traffic officers in sight or traffic signal cameras, speed cameras, as the driver may break the law by driving through lights or speeding, which could leave you with a ticket if driver details not taken.
Buyers will always, always haggle to get the cheapest price they possibly could. Some buyers will be firm while others going for a complete bargain. This is why you need to set your price you want to take for the car and then add another £150.00 to the price, this will allow you to discount the overall price.
However, donʼt refuse an offer if it is £50-£100 or less under your asking price, as you donʼt know if you do have another potential buyer for the car, which will leave with the unsold car.
If the car does sell, do not forget to write a receipt or make a receipt. You should make two copies which the buyer must sign and you must sign, giving the details and the price of the car. It is always a good idea to write “sold as seen” on the receipt, ensuring the buyer will not return with an unknown problem with the car.
The safest way to handle the cash would be through:
CASH is the most common way used cars are bought, however, extra care must be taken when handling cash: -